To Live Another Life
by LilDreamerGirl
Summary: A girl born of Venus is made young Serenity's life-long body double after a future foretold by Pluto predicts the fall of the Silver Millennium as the result of Serenity's death. This plan is complicated when the child of Venus meets Kunzite - a soldier of Earth - and falls victim to her own element: love. The downfall of the Silver Millennium as told through Venus' eyes.


AN: Hello all! It's been a long time since I have written anything for Sailor Moon (a good 15 years, I'd wager). I was struck by a plot bunny after I read somewhere that Naoko Takeuchi stated that the similarity in looks between Venus and Moon was intentional from the start; it was for the purposes of Venus standing in as the Moon Princess when Usagi was in danger. This story will further explore that notion (on a broader scale than the events of season 1) and the struggles this brought for the romance of Minako and Kunzite during the time of the Silver Millenium. This story is hardly thought out but the below came to me one night and when inspiration strikes I go for it. I have the summer off from school so I have hopes to continue to flesh out and write this in the coming months.

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon and make no money from this fictional publication.

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Lady of Venus, Aphrodite, daughter of Dione*... This golden-haired goddess was known by many names. Had the Kingdom known all that she had done they may have chosen other words: Betrayer. Deceiver. The Lady Apate**, herself. The ruin her decisions had led to was unbearable. As the maiden looked out upon the fallen Kingdom, she held the tears at bay. Only those worthy could shed them, she told herself. As she grimaced in pain, a crimson patch growing steadily on the side of her battle garments, she reminded herself that she was not among the worthy. The responsibility for the devastation that rolled out for miles around her – the crumbling white structures, the cries of anguish and of the dying – lay greatly on her shoulders. She had failed her Queen and her Princess...

A muffled sob escaped her cracked lips at the remembrance of the fair goddess falling before her. She couldn't save her from her Fate. Her Princess had been taken despite all that had been done to prevent the Prophecy from coming true, all because she faltered in her duty. She had taken the bite from the apple of Eden and damned them all.

Footsteps crunched in the rubble behind her, causing her to tense and tighten her grip on the Holy Sword that she held at her side. She spun and lifted her sword in a defensive strike, predicting the opposing attack from the tall man that swung down. Her crystalline blue eyes widened in surprise at the cold, calculating gaze that met hers from the other side of their clanging swords. She fought with her remaining strength to hold her sword to his, trembling from the effort. The goddess' heart skipped, his look of deadly intent catching her off-guard. Her worst suspicion was now confirmed: her Love was gone, replaced by this puppet of Evil.

"Venus, why is it that you always put so much effort into resisting me? You know you will eventually fail."

The callous white-haired general smirked as he pushed with more force against her sword. A sharp twinge of pain in her side caused her to weaken her hold. He pushed against her in one last flourish of force, toppling Venus backwards and allowing him an opening to finish her. As his blade swung down for the final blow, she swung her sword wildly to the side, deflecting the menacing steel away. She rolled away from another downswing of his weapon, the pain from her gaping wound stealing her breath. She recovered only quickly enough to catch his blade with hers once more, again at a stalemate.

Her eyes searched his dirtied face for something to give her hope, some sign that her Love might still remain within him. As if sensing her longing, he snarled, lifting a leg and harshly kicking her away.

Stumbling back, she caught herself before she fell once more and recovered her stance to ready herself for another attack. His angry eyes glared at her as if offended by her search for his humanity.

"Your Prince would be ashamed to know that such a proud and loyal soldier fell so easily. His best General tricked by an old hag. I thought you were a better man than that," she ground out between gritted teeth.

"And you, Venus? Tempted away from her duties by a handsome face." He clucked his tongue condescendingly. "Some Guardian you turned out to be."

Her shoulders dropped as she lost her bravado at his words, the sorrow of her situation washing over her. "It was for more than a handsome face, Kunzite. There was once a bright, strong, honorable man that I loved within you. I wanted to be with him, at all costs. But, not for this..." Her voice cracked as she began losing hold on her emotions. "This wasn't meant to happen."

"Venus..." He approached her as he sensed her lose her will to fight. His free hand reached up, gripping her chin gently and raised her gaze to meet his. "This was always meant to happen."

"No." Her eyes filled with tears she didn't have the strength to hold back any longer as she continued to speak, more to herself than to him. "I refuse to believe that all paths led here. There must have been a way for us to be together. Maybe there still can be." She breathed deeply, the hand around her sword shaking as she felt herself weaken from blood loss. The effect of her adrenaline was beginning to fade as she resigned herself to the inevitable. It was time for goodbye. "I'm so sorry, Kunzite."

His eyes widened as he realized her thoughts and brought up his sword, but too late. They cried out in unison as her sword embedded itself in his abdomen - he in pain and she in anguish. She followed as he fell to his knees and collapsed to the ground. As he felt himself weaken, he lifted a hand and used his dark powers to blast her away from him. She flew back, landing yards away in a crumpled heap.

She struggled to lift her head as she cried. This can't be how things end, she thought. This couldn't be where Love led. After a few quiet minutes passed, she turned to him, the tears falling fast. He lay on his side, facing her, but the dullness of his eyes confirmed what she had feared: he was gone.

She crawled slowly to his side, feeling her own life drain from her, a result of her unattended wounds. She gently pushed him to lay on his back and allowed her head to fall onto his chest as she lost the ability to hold herself up any longer. She would not allow him to leave this world alone. And, perhaps, they would see each other in the next. The thought made a last flicker of hope burn in her chest as she felt herself drift away into the nothingness.

This would not be the end.

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References:

*Dione: Mother of Aphrodite.

**Apate: Personification of deceit and an evil spirit locked within Pandora's Box.


End file.
